AMMAN — Prime Minister Hani Mulki on Saturday stressed the government’s commitment to overcome any obstacles to the implementation of electricity generation through the use of oil shale, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The project aims to increase self-reliance on local resources and to diversify energy sources, Mulki said, adding that the oil shale project could generate electricity at a capacity of 485 megawatt, with $2.1 billion of funding.

The project would be the first of its kind in Jordan and the biggest in the Middle East, burning oil shale to generate 15 per cent of the Kingdom’s total electricity, in addition to developing expertise in the field.

Construction of a 554-megawatt, oil shale-fired power plant will begin once the necessary funding for the project, valued at $2.1 billion, is secured, Attarat Power Company (APCO) announced last week.

APCO stated that the relevant parties had reached financial closure for the construction of the first oil shale-fired power station and open-cast mine in Jordan.

The plant will be located at the Attarat Um Ghudran oil shale deposit, approximately 100km southeast of Amman. The construction of the 554MW gross/470MW net oil shale-fired mine mouth power station will begin shortly, while the power station’s construction is scheduled to start in mid-2020.

The project will be the first to commercially utilise Jordan’s abundant oil shale reserves, significantly reducing the country’s reliance on imported oil and gas. It is expected to meet 10-15 per cent of Jordan’s annual power demand.

With an investment value of $2.1 billion, the project is the largest private sector project in Jordan to date. The two-unit power station will be the first oil shale-fired power station and mine project funded by limited recourse project financing in the world.